Temporary closure for freight vehicle doorway



June 11, 1963 B. H. FORD 3,093,188

TEMPORARY CLOSURE FOR FREIGHT VEHICLE DOORWAY Filed July 25, 1960 27 2apizz if 1/240 17 Ira Jerci'sr flax G771 6rd wag/s United States Patent3,093,188 TEMPORARY CLGSURE FOR FREKGHT VEHICLE DOORWAY Barton H. Ford,Omaha, Nebr., assignor of one-half to International Paper Company, NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of New York, and one-half to The StanleyWorks, New Britain, Comm, a corporation of Connecticut Filed July 25,1960, Ser. No. 45,635 Claims. (Cl. 160-368) This invention relates to atemporary closure for a freight vehicle doorway. The invention isparticularly useful in connection with the closure of railway car dooropenings so that granular material can be safely carried by such cars.

The present application is a' continuation-inpart of my copendingapplications, Serial No. 465,253, filed October 28, 1954, Serial No.654,307, filed April 22, 1957, Serial No. 679,842, filed August 23, 1 957, and Serial No. 739,080, filed June 2, 195 8, all now abandoned.

The usual railway boxcars are provided with a door frame formed ofwooden columns or beams, or of members having wooden nailing stripssecured thereto. Spaced laterally of the door frame are additionalvertical posts or studs which reinforce the side walls of the car. Thetemporary closure usually comprises a fibrous sheet body which isreinforced with horizontally-extending, flat, flexible metal strapswhich overlie the frame of the door and which are nailed to the verticalbeams of the door frame. Repeated nailing into the door frame weakensthe structure, and the door frame or its nailing strip can becomesplintered or crack-ed and thereafter is not sulficiently strong to holdthe nails.

Additionally, the weight of the cargo tends to bow the flexible fibrousdoor outwardly, and this, in turn, applies a stress to the door posts,tending to bow or bend them inwardly. The stress applied to the doorposts occurs at the outset due to the tensioning of thehorizontallyextending straps. Initially, the strap tensioning isaccomplished by driving double-headed nails to the straps and into theposts at inclinations so' .as to draw the straps to a taut condition.Unfortunately, after one strap has been drawn taut, the adjacent strap,as it is being tension nailed, brings about an additional bowing of theposts, and this tends to loosen the adjacent, already secured strap. Itis important that the straps be equally tensioned, because if there isone loose strap which fails to support the paper sheet, etc., the sheetcan readily crack or tear and result in the loss of valuable cargo.

Another difliculty experienced with door posts in railway cars is thatthe innermost posts to which the grain door is attached are not directlyconnected to the inner lining of the car and the post can turn, orpartially turn, because of the outward stress exerted by the flexibledoor body when it bulges outwardly under the weight of grain, etc. Thecommon practice is to place a nailing strip over the inner face of thedoor, and the nailing strip may itself rock or turn under the outwardpull of the bulging grain door body. Further, the door post or nailingstrip, by reason of continuous use, often becomes chipped or weakened aspointed out above, and this, along with the rocking of the grain doorabout the corner of the post or strip (as the door bulges outwardly)tends to draw the fastening means from the post or strip.

I have discovered that the foregoing problem can be effectively solvedby providing a metal tie strip or extension between the nailing strip ordoor post and a laterally spaced stud, while at the same time utilizingthe tension of a reinforcing door strap itself to immobilize orreinforce the tie connection.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide atemporary closure equipped with reinforcing "ice straps wherein thestraps are secured not only into the door posts of a doorway-equippedvehicle, but in which are additionally provided tie strips or extensionstraps between the door posts and a spaced stud, or the like. Anotherobject is to provide an effective means and method for securing a graindoor against the possibility of failure by reason of a weakened doorframe and to provide a further safeguard against even concealedweaknesses in the door frame.

Still another object is to provide, in combination .with a car structurein which a stud is supported at a spaced distance laterally from a doorpost and is anchored to the wall of the car, a strap forming anextension of a grain door strap for connecting the stud and door post.

Yet another object is to provide, in combination with a freight vehicledoorway, a temporary closure equipped with flat metal straps havingseparate extensions at the ends thereof for securement to interiorportions of the car spaced laterally of the doorway framing members, theconnection of the strap extension to the car wall being into a stud, orthe like, with the studs being spaced from their associated doorwayframing members a distance suflicient to dispose the extension atsubstantially a right angle to its associated stud, whereby the nailsemployed to secure the straps to the studs are stressed primarily inshear.

Other objects and advantages of this invention may be seen as thisspecification proceeds.

" The invention is described in conjunction with illustrativeembodiments in the accompanying drawing, in which- FIGURE 1 is a brokenperspective view of a railway car equipped with a door frame and with adoor closure therefor having tie straps or extensions embodying myinvention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the structure shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a broken perspective view of the strap structure removed fromthe door panel;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a closure-equippedcar, similar to the showing of FIG. 2 but in which a modified form ofthe invention is employed;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of strap structureembodying the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of yet another form of I strapstructure embodying teachings of the invention.

In the illustration given in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the numeral 1o designatesa panel having the end portions thereof secured to the frame members ordoor posts 11 of a railway car 12. The panel 10 may be formed of anysuitable material for retaining grain or other substances. In thespecific illustration given, corrugated board is employed, and there isprovided at the bottom of the board a flap 13 adapted to lie against thefloor of the car. There may be provided on the sides of the panel sideflaps 14 formed by providing scored or wea cened vertical lines 15 alongeach side of the panel 10. A single panel 10 may be employed, or theremay be used in combination with panel 10 a series of panels thereaboveto forma door closure of any desired height. However, it is believedsufficient for the purpose of the present invention to describe a singlepanel 10, as set out in FIG. 1.

In the illustration given, particularly in FIG. 2, it is seen that anouter liner sheet 16 is employed in conjunction with the remainder ofthe corrugated panel 10 to support horizontally-extending, equallyvertically spacedapart, flat metal straps 17. Thus, the straps 17 arepositioned interior-1y of the composite panel 10, which additionallyincludes a corrugated core 10a having the flutes thereof extendingvertically and which core is lined or 3: surfaced on the interior sidewith an inner liner sheet 16a.

In the structure shown in FIGS. l-3, inclusive, the straps 17 areprovided with equally spaced-apart nail openings 18, and the ends of atleast some of the straps 17 are connected by means of a rivet 19 to anextension Strap segment 20. The extension strap advantageously may beconstructed of the same material as the straps 17, which usually areconstructed of 18 to 20 gauge black steel having a width of the order ofl-2". The length of the straps 17 is established according to the widthof the doorway to be closed by the panel It}, doorways of differ entwidths occurring in different freight cars, and the number of straps 17employed per panel may also vary, and so also the number of extensions20.

The extension segment 20 is also provided with equally spaced-apart nailopenings 21 so that the same may be secured by nails 22 to the studs orbeams 23 with which the railway car 12 is provided. As shown moreclearly in FIG. 3, the segment or strap extension 20 may be foldedinwardly, so as to lie against the strap 17 (the panel being omitted forthe sake of clarity), thus providing no dangerous extension or hazard.If desired, the segment 28 may be secured by gummed paper tape to thepanel 10 during transit so as to hold it accurately in alignment withthe strap 17. This structure actually reduces the hazard because itstiffens the outer end portions of the strap 17 and the two alignedstraps provide a blunt edge which is less dangerous than the narrow edgeof the single strap end. When it is desired to extend the straps 17, thesegment 20, as shown at the right-hand side of FIG. 3, may be swungoutwardly to the position shown. Thus there is provided a safe form ofgrain door structure which may be shipped with a minimum of hazard and,when desired, the extension may be swung outwardly to engage a side stud23 so as to be anchored thereto. Even where the door frame, afterconsiderable use and after bearing nail openings, may appear to besound, it will often be advisable to extend the straps through the useof the segments 20 to provide the additional safeguard as illustratedbest in FIG. 1.

In some instances, it may be desirable to swing the extension segments20 into folded inner position, as illustrated at the left-hand side ofFIG. 3 and to nail the strap ends in its relation to the door frame 11.For this purpose, I prefer to have the openings 21 of the segments 20and the openings 18 of the straps 17 brought into complete alignment sothat a nail passing through the strap 17 will also pass through analigned opening in the segment 20.

With the structure disclosed, it is found that grain can be shipped withgreater safety and less splitting and breaking of the grain doorsbecause of the equal tensioning of the straps which is not onlyaccomplished in the installation of the door but which is maintainedthereafter during the use of the door under load. As the grain bulgesout the panel 10 (see FIG. 2), and as the door flexes inwardly andoutwardly under the backing, jerking, humping, bumping, etc., of thefreight train, the door posts are held rigidly against bending in anyportion thereof without turning under the rocking strains imposed bygrain loads so that the straps throughout the operation maintain auniform support of the door panel 10. Even though the door posts 11 beweakened by previous use, the door posts continue to serve as aneffective anchor as the door 10 flexes about it so that the strain istransmitted about the post corner and in a direct line at substantiallyright angles to the retaining nails 22 in stud 23. Thus, these retainingnails are stressed primarly in shear and are effectively insulated fromany stress tending to Withdraw them from the stud.

As pointed out previously, the panel may be equipped with the side flaps14 so as to expose the interiorly positioned straps 17 for nailing as bynails 24. The flaps 14, thereafter can be secured by nails 25 which alsoextend into the framing posts 11. Alternatively, the side flaps 14 maybe omitted and the panel 10 equipped with nail position indicia.

While I have shown the invention in one embodiment in which theextensions 29 are pivotally mounted upon the straps 17 by the rivets 19,it will be understood that other means may be employed advantageously insome instances. For example, a staple 26 (see FIG. 5) may be passedthrough pairs of openings 18 in the strap 17 and corresponding openings21 in the extension 20, and the legs of the staple 26 clinched againstthe extension 29 to provide a secure union. Alternatively, the legs ofthe staple 26 can be forced into the frame members 11, therebyeliminating the need for clinching. If desired, the staple segments maybe taped with the extension 20 to the panel 10 for convenience inshipment to the site of installation.

In another modification of the invention (see FIG. 6), I again provide atie strap 20 which is equipped with spaced nail openings 21.Intermediate the nail openings 21, the strap 20 has flat fasteningsegments 27 struck therefrom and extending inwardly. The segments 27 maybe equipped with pointed ends 28 which facilitate the insertion of thesegments 27 into the nail openings 18 of the main strap 17. Thefastening segment-equipped strap 29 of FIG. 6 is secured to the endportion of a strap 17 in a position overlying the framing post 11 sothat the post 11 may provide a support surface for the convenientclinching of the segments 27 against the straps 17.

The extension strap 20 enables the door structure to be erected by asingle operator, since, when the extension strap is secured to the endportion of a door strap 17, the operator simply handles the outer end ofthe extension strap in securing it to the stud 23 in the same way he hashandled the original door strap in securing it to the vertical beam 11.Also, the strap 17 equipped with a strap extension 20 provides astructure in which the strap elements have substantially no play betweenthem and form a rigid reinforced area over the door frame 11.

As has been noted, the character of the freight vehicle in which theinventive closures are installed, varies somewhat. In FIG. 4, there isseen a fragment of a grain-carrying freight car in which the stud 23 ismasked by inner side wall boards 29. Again, as in FIG. 2, the panelgenerally designated 10 is seen bowed outwardly in the doorway openingin the condition it would be when a granular load (not shown) is bearingagainst it. The outer sheathing of the car is designated 31.

As before, the panel 10 includes liners 16 and 16a on opposite sides ofa corrugated core 10a and with flat metal straps '17 provided interiorlyof the composite panel 10. Strap extensions 20 are provided which arenailed as at 22 by the usual double-headed nails to the studs 23. Theend of extension 20 adjacent the panel 10 is secured thereto, and alsoto the post 11, by means of the nail 24. As pointed out previously, thenail 24 and the nail 22 may be advantageously inclined relative to thedoorway, as this is seen in dotted line and designated by the numerals24a and 22a, respectively.

In the illustration given in FIG. 4, the extreme end portion of thepanel 10 may be secured to the inner liner 29 by means of a nail 32 inconjunction With a side batten 33, in accordance with conventionalprocedure.

In all of the embodiments of the invention, an extremely usefuloperation is achieved in that the strap extension remains immobileirrespective of the buffeting of the door panel 10. It will beappreciated that a granular load surges to and fro considerably duringtransit and where the panel securement is merely to the framing posts,there is a tendency to place the securing nails in tension so as toliterally rip them out of the posts. The strap extensions, being of alength corresponding to the spacing of the studs, or greater, afford anextremely satisfactory anchor for the door panel in a position where thebutfeting of the panel is of no consequence. In the inventive form seenin FIGS. 1-4, the extension straps 20 are conveniently pivoted intopositions overlying the studs or inner wall, as the case may be, andquickly secured with a minimum of time. Even though the securing nailfor an extension strap be driven in at an angle, it is still stressedprimarily in shear because of the essential right angle relationship ofthe extension strap to the stud; alternatively, the parallelrelationship of the extension strap and the inner wall 29.

While, in the foregoing specification, I have set forth specificstructures in considerable detail for the purpose of illustratingembodiments of the invention, it will be understood that such details ofstructure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a car having vertical door posts and verticalstuds spaced therefrom, a flexible door panel adapted to extend betweensaid posts in overlapping relation therewith, vertically spaced,flexible, flat straps in said panel to support the same and having endportions overlapping said door posts, said strap ends being equippedwith separate extension tie portions, said extension tie portionsoverlapping said studs, means connecting said extension tie portions andsaid strap end portions, and nails securing each strap to said posts andother nails anchoring said extension tie portions to said studslaterally of said posts, whereby said tie portions connect said studs tosaid posts, each of said studs being spaced from its associated doorpost a distance suificient to dispose said tie portion at substantiallyright angles to said stud so as to stress said other nails principallyin shear.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said connecting means comprises arivet.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said connecting means comprises astaple.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said connecting means comprises anail which additionally secures said strap end portions to said posts.

5. The structure of claim 1 in which said extension tie portions areequipped with flat segments stmck from an end thereof, said flatsegments providing said connecting means.

6. In combination with a grain-carrying freight oar having a dooropening defined by vertically-extending framing posts, said car beingequipped with verticallyextending studs spaced horizontally of saidposts, a temporary closure extending across said door opening andoverlapping said posts, said closure comprising a flexible paperboardpanel disposed generally in a vertical plane and interiorly equippedwith a plurality of horizontallyextending, equally verticallyspaced-apart flat metal straps adjacent the outer panel side, saidstraps being equipped at the ends thereof, with a plurality ofhorizontally-spaced nail holes, pointed securing means extending throughsaid nail holes into said posts for securing said panel to said posts, aflat metal strap extension member at each end of one of said straps,each of said members being equipped with a plurality ofhorizontally-spaced nail holes and disposed in aligned, overlappingrelation with said one strap, securing means extending through alignednail openings in eachv overlapped member and strap to tie the twotogether, and pointed securing means extending through the nail openingsof said members securing the same to said studs, whereby each post andits adjacent stud cooperate in supporting said straps against horizontalmovement under stress of grain carried by said car and the pointedsecuring means extending through the nail openings of said memberssecuring the same to said studs are stressed primarily in shear.

7. The structure of claim 6 in which the pointed securing meansextending through said nail holes into said posts for securing the panelstraps to said posts also extend through aligned nail openings in eachoverlapped member and strap to tie the two together.

8. The structure of claim 6 in which the said securing means comprises arivet.

9. In combination with a freight vehicle having a sidewall, a doorway insaid sidewall defined by spaced-apart vertical framing posts, said wallbeing equipped with vertically-extending studs spaced from said posts, aflexible paperboard closure extending across said doorway in overlappingrelation with said posts, said closure comprising liner sheets andspaced-apart flat metal straps positioned between said liner sheets,each of said straps, at least at the end portions thereof, beingequipped with a plurality of horizontally-spaced nail openings, nailsextending through said strap end portions securing the closure to saidposts, a plurality of said straps being equipped with separate strapextensions pivotally connected to said end portions and movable from aposition substantially overlapping said closure to a positionoverlapping an adjacent stud, said strap extensions being equipped withspacedapart nail openings, and nails extending through said strapextension nail openings into said adjacet studs.

10. In combination with a freight vehicle having a sidewall, a doorwayin said sidewall defined by spaced-apart vertical framing posts, saidwall being equipped with vertically-extending studs spaced from saidposts, a flexible paperboard closure extending across said doorway inoverlapping relation with said posts, said closure comprising linersheets facing the car interior and spaced-apart flat metal strapspositioned between said liner sheets, each of said straps, at least atthe end portions thereof, being equipped with a plurality ofhorizontally-spaced nail openings, nails extending through said strapend portions securing the closure to said posts, a plurality of saidstraps being equipped with separate strap extensions pivotally connectedto said end portions and movable from a position substantiallyoverlapping said closure to a position overlapping an adjacent stud,said strap extensions being equipped with spaced-apart nail openings,said extension and strap nail openings being aligned, a rivet extendingthrough aligned nail openings providing said pivotal movement, and nailsextending through said strap extension nail openings into said adjacentstuds, said strap nails and said extension nails being spaced apartsufficiently to dispose each extension strap at substantially a rightangle to its associated stud whereby said extension nails are stressedprimarily in shear.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS181,183 King Aug. 15, 1876 2,214,388 Summers Sept. 10, 1940 2,797,489Roe July 2, 1957 2,871,936 Ott et al Feb. 3, 1959 3,025,907 Ford Mar.20, 1962

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A CAR HAVING VERTICAL DOOR POSTS AND VERTICALSTUDS SPACED THEREFROM, A FLEXIBLE DOOR PANEL ADAPTED TO EXTEND BETWEENSAID POSTS IN OVERLAPPING RELATION THEREWITH, VERTICALLY SPACED,FLEXIBLE, FLAT STRAPS IN SAID PANEL TO SUPPORT THE SAME AND HAVING ENDPORTIONS OVERLAPPING SAID DOOR POSTS, SAID STRAP ENDS BEING EQUIPPEDWITH SEPARATE EXTENSION TIE PORTIONS, SAID EXTENSION TIE PORTIONSOVERLAPPING SAID STUDS, MEANS CONNECTING SAID EXTENSION TIE PORTIONS ANDSAID STRAP END PORTIONS, AND NAILS SECURING EACH STRAP TO SAID POSTS ANDOTHER NAILS ANCHORING SAID EXTENSION TIE PORTIONS TO SAID STUDSLATERALLY OF SAID POSTS, WHEREBY SAID TIE PORTIONS CONNECT SAID STUDS TOSAID POSTS, EACH OF SAID STUDS BEING SPACED FROM ITS ASSOCIATED DOORPOST A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT TO DISPOSE SAID TIE PORTION AT SUBSTANTIALLYRIGHT ANGLES TO SAID STUD SO AS TO STRESS SAID OTHER NAILS PRINCIPALLYIN SHEAR.